THANJAVUR: Indian Institute of Food Processing Technology (IIFPT) here and the National Research Centre for Banana (NRCB), Tiruchy have signed Memorandum of Understanding on Tuesday for working together on the untapped research in post-harvest handling and value addition of banana crop.
Dr C.Anandharamakrishnan, director, IIFPT said that the MoU would enable sharing of scientific expertise between two institutes and formulation of joint research projects for addressing the field problems faced by banana farmers and processors.
The areas of research identified such as development of novel food products by encapsulating the functional nutrients in banana, low cost shelf life extension of banana, development of edible plates and packaging materials from banana fiber, smart sensor application and farm mechanization and GMO testing of banana and products.
Dr S. Uma, director of NRCB said that only 25 per cent edible portion is consumed in banana, remaining 75 per cent is almost wasted and it's a menace of disposal for farmers. There is a huge potential for converting the waste into wealth. The present MoU will be helpful for formulating research for potential conversion of the huge waste generated at banana fields. The MoU was signed by the Directors of both the institutions at IIFPT campus in this old town at a simple function.
